Will AI replace Fundraisers?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

47/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Fundraisers?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 47% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations. The parts that stay human include: Identify and build relationships with potential donors.; Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors.; Attend community events, meetings, or conferences to promote organizational goals or solicit donations or sponsorships..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Compile or develop materials to submit to granting or other funding organizations.AI already used 75%

Create or update donor databases. 75%

Develop or implement fundraising activities, such as annual giving campaigns or direct mail programs. 70%

Conduct research to identify the goals, net worth, charitable donation history, or other data related to potential donors, potential investors, or general donor markets. 62%

Identify and build relationships with potential donors. 38%

Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors. 38%

+ 22 more tasks (57% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Identify and build relationships with potential donors.
Solicit cash or in-kind donations or sponsorships from individual, business, or government donors.
Attend community events, meetings, or conferences to promote organizational goals or solicit donations or sponsorships.

AI tools to try

Excel / Sheets with Copilot or GeminiChatGPT / Claude for analysis and draftingAI document extraction (invoices, contracts, forms)

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Automate the routine

AI for data entry, extraction and reconciliation.
Formulas, pivot tables and checks written with AI.
Standard emails and documents from templates.

Project

Use AI to build a thank-you and acknowledgement letter generator from your gift log, producing 50 personalised letters from templates in under an hour and timing the saving.

Phase 2

Analysis and advice

Forecasts and variance analysis with AI, checked against the source.
Plain-language summaries of numbers for managers or clients.
Research rules and regulations with AI, then verify in the original.

Project

Build an AI-assisted forecast of this year's annual giving campaign by donor segment, explain variances versus last year in a one-page plain-language board summary, and verify every figure against the CRM.

Phase 3

Process owner

Map and automate a full process with no-code tools (Make, Zapier, Power Automate).
Data quality, controls and audit trails for AI-assisted work.
Turn saved time into higher-value advisory work.

Project

Map and automate your grant pipeline end to end with a no-code tool, from deadline alerts to draft proposal sections and submission log with audit trail, then reinvest the saved hours in 10 major-donor visits.

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